Tuesday Inspiration Tell All | December 20th

O.M.G another great photog on the blog! I can't wait to share her story with you! I absolutely adore her style! SO funny, Ashley and I met when I was shooting a wedding she was in, I was like DANG this girl can work it, when I was having them pose... no wonder she's a photog! LOL! Love it! Fierce & Fabulous is 2 words that def describe her... SO excited! - well, instead of telling you how much I love her work, how about you check it out for yourself! :) 

Ashley Nacke | Indiana

How did you know photography was the right fit for you and you wanted to do this as a career? 

I started about 3 years ago before almost every mom on the planet had started setting up their very own photography business. There wasn't a lot of photographers in my area, so I saw a demand that I could fill. I wanted to bring something different and fresh to this area. Because we work in a business that is so over saturated with photographers it is important to be yourself! You have to figure out a way to be unique and different so you can stand out! I quickly found my little niche of fashion inspired shooting and ran with it!

How did you get started?

 I started out with a borrowed camera, borrowed laptop, and no internet. I saved every penny I made and invested it back into my business. I had just graduated college and I remember my family and friends thought I was insane, but they never said it! I literally just giggled to myself thinking about hanging up flyers at my local gas station! Did I seriously do that!? I have come a long way since those days! It was definitely the shear excitement and thought of doing something I loved that was driving me. 

When did you know it was the right time to jump into this full time? 

I realized in my second year of doing photography that I was on to something good. By that time I had found a specialty in senior/fashion styled sessions. The demand for sessions became more than what I could dish out. At that point I knew I had to make some changes in my pricing. That also led me to start teaching one on one mentoring sessions and workshops, most of them are geared toward Senior Portraits! I have a lot more information and reviews from other photographers on my blog about my mentoring sessions. 

What were you doing before hand? 

I was going to school at Taylor University studying studio art. I was concentrating in painting, and I think those influences play into the way I edit and play with color. I also had a passion for teaching art and spent three years studying art education. I gained so much knowledge from studying art in college. I didn't specifically study photography but learning all of the fundamentals of design helped me develop into the artist I wanted to be.

How did your family/spouse/significant other react? 

I come from a long line of artists. My dad was an art professor for 45 years. I remember growing up my brothers and I were always encouraged to be artistic. Naturally they told me I was awesome when I wasn't yet, and encouraged me through the up's and downs. My husband David also played a huge part in my business getting started. Even though he didn't always understand what I was talking or crying about he would stay up with me late and night listening to everything I had to say. He wanted me to succeed at what I loved because he loves me! 

What's your fav thing to shoot & why? 

Senior girls or anything fashion related! I always tell people if I had to pick another dream job it would be doing styling for fashion shows! I love how involved seniors are with the process of sessions from the picking out of clothes and accessories to location style. They are excited and that makes me excited too, it's like we feed off of each other! 

What's the hardest thing about owning your own business? 

I recently wrote about being a right brained artist trying to run a successful business. You can find that here  it might change your life, be careful! :) 

What's the best thing about owning your own business? 

Since I have been able to hire someone to help with emails and booking I have been able to enjoy the creative process a lot more. I spend less time worrying about the stuff I don't like to do! Learning to let go of some of the responsibilities is a big part of my happiness right now! 

If you could give someone trying to start out in this biz, one piece of advice what would it be? 

Go big from the start, take out a loan and get good equipment at the beginning. Trust me if you are good you will be able to quickly pay off that loan. There are so many photographers out there who are offering workshops. Find a photographer you admire and who's style you like and see if you can do a mentorship or workshop. Don't be afraid to ask question and for goodness sake learn how to shoot on manual! Ok that was more than ONE piece of advice sorry! :) hah 

What is the biggest source of inspiration for you? 

I love looking through fashion magazines and pinning things on pinterest for inspiration. Not only do magazines have good styling tips for clients they also have tons of great posing ideas.  

If you could go have coffee with any photographer who would it be & why? 

This is a hard question! There are so many photographers I would like to one day meet but I would have to say Stephanie Panagopoulos from Stephanie Pana Photography. I love her senior portrait and fashion photography. I really adore her style but more importantly she seems like a very genuine person! I could see us being friends! 

What's in your gear bag?

Canon 5D Mark ii, 50 mm 1.4 and that is pretty much all I use for my portrait sessions. If you want to see all my equipment you can go here.

What was first in your gear bag, what did you buy next and how do you determine which other things you buy as far as lenses/cameras etc? 

I started with a used canon 30D and a 50 mm 1.8  both lasted me about 2 years. When I decided to start charging a lot more I knew I had to get some better equipment. I also felt like I was being held back with the first equipment I had. Because I mainly do portrait work I am satisfied with my Canon 5D Mark ii and my 50mm 1.4 for the style I am going for. There are certain circumstances when I will rent lenses especially for weddings. 

Has there been any times that you wanted to quit?

How did you make it through? On more than one occasion I have wanted to quit. The good thing about running your own photography business is that when something isn't working you can take time, step back and re-evaluate what is happening. There are no rules that says you can't change your prices, or number of days you are working… Seek out advice from others don't try to bare the burdens alone. I spent so many nights crying to others and it seems like every photographer has been through a similar experience of wanting to give up. My biggest advice on this topic is to never ever post anything negative on your photography social media sites, it gives out a bad vibe! 

What's been your best way to market & why? 

HANDS DOWN FACEBOOK! Booking seniors has become extremely easy for me with the use of social media. Putting up previews on my page allows me to tag a senior and then 1,000 of their friends are able to see and comment on those photos! Be creative with your branding and make your page attractive to seniors! Keep it fun and fresh! 

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Thank you so much for sharing Ashley! Questions for Ashley? Be sure to post them in our comments section! 

Want to apply to be part of our tuesday inspiration group? Email us for details at bp4uguides@gmail.com.